Questions
What is a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. After graduating from medical school, a 4-year specialty program (residency) is completed, with training in both office and hospital-based care. Many psychiatrists then take a board certification exam in the specialty and continue medical education throughout their careers. Psychiatrists order medical tests, and have expertise in both medication and non-medication treatments, such as psychotherapy (talk therapy).
What ages do you treat?
This practice treats adults aged 18 through 60.
Who should make an appointment?
We welcome those seeking an initial evaluation to determine if there is a problem and guidance in how to treat it, those new to mental health treatment, as well as people seeking second opinions or to transfer care to this practice.
What conditions do you treat?
We diagnose and treat a variety of issues such as depression, social and generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorders, and difficulty with adjustment and life stresses. We will conduct a diagnostic assessment during your initial appointments and discuss the results, as well as offer a personalized treatment plan.
What does treatment involve?
Treatment may involve targeted plans to address lifestyle habits, such as nutrition and exercise. Medications may be prescribed, and psychotherapy may be used. If specialized services are needed that are not offered in this office (for example, getting a sleep study or a particular therapy), we will coordinate this part of your plan. In some cases, we may determine that treatment would be better in another setting altogether, and we would then offer you appropriate referrals.
How do appointments take place?
Services are provided via telemedicine, and we do not offer in-person appointments. You will schedule an appointment for a real-time doctor's visit by video that is compliant with healthcare privacy and security regulations, including HIPAA. During your appointments, you should be in a private space free from distractions. You must be physically in New York State during each appointment.
Do you have early or late appointment times available?
Yes. The office operates during normal business hours, though some additional appointment times can often be arranged to accommodate scheduling needs.
How frequent are appointments?
Initially, we may need to meet several times to understand you and your concerns. These consultation appointments last approximately 45 minutes. If we are ordering lab work or other testing, you would have time to get this done between appointments so we could review your results. We will develop a personalized plan for appointment frequency so that treatment can be fine-tuned and so you have time to ask questions. Though it varies between people and at different times, many patients will meet monthly.
How long are follow-up appointments?
Several types of follow-up appointments are available. We offer a 25-minute appointment for reassessing, fine-tuning, and monitoring medications. We also offer an extended 50-minute appointment when more time is needed.
How do I schedule an appointment?
If you are a prospective patient, please call 646-481-2238. We will have a brief phone conversation before scheduling to answer questions about our practice. Afterward, you will be given a link to the secure patient portal. All services are by appointment only. Learn more: New Patients.
Do you take my insurance?
No, consistent with our mission of providing the highest quality care, we do not accept health insurance. This helps keep your medical decision making between you and your doctor. While having the advantages of being "out of network," your health insurance plan may partially reimburse you for your care here, and you also may be able to use a health spending account. Please be aware you will be solely responsible for determining whether you have out of network coverage for the treatment received at the practice.
Due to federal regulations, we are unable to see patients who are covered by a Medicare policy in any form (such as Medicare Advantage), even if you have additional insurance coverage or do not wish to use Medicare.
How does payment work?
Payment is due in full at the beginning of each appointment, and is paid directly from the patient. We require having a credit card on file which will be charged accordingly. We do not bill or submit paperwork to insurance companies. We are happy to provide you with an invoice if you wish to seek partial reimbursement from your insurance company directly.
Please note the cancellation and lateness policies: The full fee for the session will be charged for any missed, cancelled, or rescheduled appointment if notice is not received at least 24 hours beforehand. For any appointments that are scheduled on a Monday, any cancellations will need to be made the prior Friday before 12pm. If you are late for any scheduled session, you will still be charged for the full amount of said session and will only be seen during the time period that was initially scheduled, or it will be rescheduled if the session begins more than ten minutes late.
How do I see if my insurance company will reimburse me?
Call the number on your health insurance card and ask if you have any "out of network" benefits for psychiatry. Ask them to explain what benefits are offered if you were to see a doctor not covered by your plan, especially if you need to meet a deductible, and ask what information they will require you to submit. As insurance coverage often changes, it's a good idea to check at least annually.
Do you perform evaluations for work, benefits, or legal issues?
No, services in this practice are for the purpose of your treatment, and are not evaluations intended for other purposes. We are not able to perform evaluations for disability, worker's compensation, divorce or custody, other legal or administrative matters, etc. The initial consultation is to develop a treatment plan.